


Once Upon A Time

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, DFAB Eridan, Humanstuck, M/M, Medievalstuck, Misgendering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-22
Packaged: 2018-03-08 13:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3211019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away. This is how most fairy tales start. But our story isn’t about fairies, nor is it a tale. It is the hard truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue.

 

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away. This is how most fairy tales start. But our story isn’t about fairies, nor is it a tale. It is the hard truth.

 

In the Kingdom of Derse lived a King. King Dualscar Ampora. He bore his first name thanks to his feat of arms, and the feature that they gave him. His prowesses in war had earned him two scars, crossing his face, and blinding one of his eyes. The fight was incredible - a duel against another monarch, who had pretended to have suffered offence from the Ampora himself. They had spared for long hours, until his adversary, in his cowardice, announced forfeit. He had nearly lost his life on this day. The ruler of Derse had been an incredibly lucky man.

 

His majesty had a lovely wife, that loved him, although their marriage was arranged. And he loved her back. His kingdom was prosperous, his people both loving and fearing him. Indeed, although he was a fair sovereign, his temper was dreaded by everyone in his court. If the King was mad, it was best for you to not stay in his presence. But really, everything was going perfectly in the King’s life. He made sure to thank the Lord everyday for this.

 

The only thing missing in his life was a heir. A son, who would inherit the throne when the head of the kingdom would pass away. As the years passed, his prayers, instead of being thankful, started becoming pleas. He begged the Lord to be blessed with a son. But no matter how hard he tried, it did not seem to work.

 

The King was starting to lost hope.

 

But the Lord did not ignore him.

 

po

On one beautiful day, his wife appeared to be pregnant. Dualscar was overjoyed -- finally. Finally, his son, his heir, would come to life. He could not wait to greet his flesh and blood into the world of the living.

 

However, the course of the few months following the Queen’s beginning of pregnancy seemed to take a wrong turn. A very wrong one. She seemed to become sick, and only got worse with the days. When the day to give birth to her child, the fever that had struck her became vivid, blinding.

 

The day the sovereign’s child was born was also the day his wife died. The labor had just been too hard on her.

 

The initial shock was too strong for the monarch. In denial, he refused to even see the infant. For a week, he untrusted a caretaker with his child, refusing to meet the person who took his wife away from him. It was the child’s fault if his wife was deceased. A fault he could not, and would not forget any time soon.

 

Eventually, he did decide to meet his heir. And, with the simple words of “Bring me my son”, the infant was brought to him.

 

That was the second time in such a short period of time that King Dualscar was struck with horror.

 

The child in his arms was no son, but a daughter. A daughter with bright blue eyes, just like her mother’s, and already a tuft of curly red hair, just like his own. She was similar to her mother in many points. But that didn’t stop him from being completely and utterly heart broken.

 

He went in complete denial.

 

The child was named Eridan, after the river separating the Kingdom of Derse with it’s neighbor, Prospit.

 

A boy’s name.

 

Eridan was given to the same caretaker that birthed her, with one instruction: raise the child like a lad, and never, under any circumstance, let anyone know about his secret. And it is exactly what happened.

 

In the sixteen years of Eridan’s life, the only pronoun used referring to the heir was “he”. He was no Princess, but a Prince. He was taught to behave like a lad, speak like a lad, dress like a lad. Eridan became a boy with the time. And the lie went on and on, with the young heir accepting it without a complaint or a question.

  
The King’s wish to have a son was finally fulfilled.


	2. A Special Day

Today was Eridan Ampora’s sixteenth birthday. Which may sound like any other day to most people - after all, what did it mean, aside from the fact that he had made it through life for sixteen years? But to royals, this day had a slightly different meaning. The heir had reached adulthood. He was now the first in line for the throne.

 

And, most importantly, in those sixteen years, nobody ever found out about the royal family’s secret.

 

But for today, the main focus was the celebration. And did Eridan hate those celebration. Sure, being in the spotlight, and not in his father’s shadow, felt nice for once. But having to always keep a stern face, not being allowed to show an ounce of feeling, and having to stay concentrated throughout entire speeches was… Boring. Eridan wanted one thing, and one thing only - to return to his living quarters and play chess with his caretaker.

 

But instead of this, he had to speak, speak for hours, show that he was well behaved and had received a proper education. Who were they kidding? Of course he had received a proper education. Of course he knew how to do speeches. He was a Prince, by the Lord! Why did he have to prove anyone that he wasn’t anywhere close to the lowly peasants filling the kingdom?

 

There was a large feast, but quite frankly, Eridan felt no hunger. He kept quiet through most of the meal, barely touching any of the expensive food prepared in his honor. The prince had never been a big eater, but it just seemed to be worse on that day. There was a knot tied in his stomach, and he knew exactly why. What was coming after the feast didn’t overjoy him. Far from it, actually.

 

And that dreaded moment came. Once the assembly gathered from him - mostly old, royal people that he had never seen in his life, far family or from other kingdoms - had left the lunch table, he, accompanied with is father, headed to the throne room. And, just as expected, the person who first entered the room for her audition broke the heir’s heart.

 

The woman who bowed before him and the king was none else but the one who had raised him. His caretaker, standing in front of him, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. It was a real challenge to contain the ones pooling in his eyes, but he had to keep face. A prince was not to cry at the loss of his caretaker, no matter how dear to him she was. Yes, this would be the last time he’d see her. Once at his majority, there was no need for her anymore. What he needed was a physical training, now. He needed a personal knight.

 

Unable to contain himself, the prince got up from his throne, under the stern watch of his father. Approaching the bowing woman, he placed both hands on her shoulders, and ordered her to stand up straight, before exchanging a warm embrace. No further words were said. Simply one meaningful look into each other’s eyes, and the woman left for good. He would never see her in the castle again.

 

The room had went completely silent by the time the woman walked out the large doors. Eridan returned to his throne, next to the King, not glancing towards his audience even once. He refused to let it show, but his heart was broken. How was that fair? That the woman who helped him come into this world, who raised him, who took the role of his mother, had to leave him once he had reached a certain age? He would be sure to have a conversation about this with his father later, face to face. The King would certainly shrug it off, but it was worth a try.

 

But he had to move on, he had no other choices. A bard, standing next to the doors, cleared his throat before announcing: “My young lord, your new servant is here. Let the knight enter!”

 

Two guards opened the doors, and Eridan leaned forward curiously. An armored figure entered, a sword at each of his sides, approaching the royal family with confident steps. Once he was close enough to the sovereigns, he stopped, and put a knee to the floor, before removing his helmet. “Your Majesty. My Lord.” A fairly young face was what Eridan saw - with hair like wheat, and such strange eyes. One was like amber, while the other seemed made of clear ice. Eridan found himself fascinated by the lad in front of him.

 

A full minute, maybe two. That's how long he waited. And he could swear he had heard the audible sigh of exasperation from his father, the King. Finally, he spoke, voice loud and clear like he had been taught all his life. "You may introduce yourself, Knight."

 

The knight did not budge at the order. That lad surely knew how to behave in front of royals. “Sollux Captor, sir. Head Knight in your ranks. I have come here to serve you, and offer you my life.” There was something… Peculiar, in his voice, Eridan noted. Something about the way he pronounced his ‘s’, that never had he heard before.

 

Eridan’s lips twitched upward with malice and amusement. Oh, this one would be good, alright. He would have the utmost fun messing with him. Maybe he could even get him fired, executed, and get his caretaker back. Yes, that would be the best possible outcome.

 

“As you should,” he replied, his mischievous grin never leaving his face as he leaned some on his armrest. At this instant, he really looked like the cat ready to jump on the mouse, just so it could toy with it before killing it mercilessly. And that probably would be what he'd do, in the long run. May this poor man's soul go to heaven for everything he'll have to put up with.

 

Then, the king spoke, his voice loud and imposing, making Eridan jump ever so slightly and sit straight in his throne. "Are you content, son?" The young heir let out a small sigh of resignation, knowing full well that he'd have to wait at least a little before putting his plan into work. "I just have one more question," he replied, his fingers tapping against the armrest of the throne. "What are your prowesses? Your feats of arms?"

 

Sollux looked the Prince straight in the eyes at this moment, and it made Eridan shudder a little. “Sir,” he spoke, and Eridan had to contain himself not to laugh, “Never have I lost a duel, nor suffered severe injuries in battle. I have fought in war for your father, and lead troops to victory. I swear on my life and on my faith that this is the entire truth, and never would I dare lie to your Majesty.”

 

The King gave a nod of approval before speaking again. “Sire Captor is our youngest head Knight. He has proven his loyalty to the kingdom, and has earned my trust. He will take care of you from now on.”

 

There was… The hint of a smile, mayhaps? on the Knight’s feature. “I take great pride in the trust you put in me, my Liege.” Eridan couldn’t help but scoff. Either that man was full of himself, or he really had done enough to prove himself worthy. Getting rid of him might prove more difficult than expected.

 

But he wouldn’t give up so easily.

 

“Very well. I shall trust you with my life. You would better prove yourself competent.” With those words, he stood up, and started walking down the main aisle, not even stopping once he had reached the Knight’s side, but continuing on his way for a few more steps. “Stand up, Knight. You shall accompany me to my private quarters.” And with this, he continued to the doors, that the guard opened with haste in front of him.

 

Sollux got back to his feet, giving one last bow to the King. “My Liege,” he said, before following after Eridan. Once he had reached the Prince’s side, they both walked through the castle’s many hallways and stairs with complete silence. After a few minutes, they had both reached Eridan’s private quarters, and the Prince opened the door to it.

 

The room was large, filled with purple draperies - the color of the Ampora family. A large bed, various paintings, a sculpture or two, a desk, and, at a corner, next to one of the windows, a game of chess left to abandon. Eridan walked straight towards it, his fingers brushing against one of the pawns as his eyes became clouded over with sadness.

 

He and his caretaker did not have the time to end their very last game.

 

“I hope you do realize you took the place of someone extremely dear to me,” he finally spoke, not bothering to look at Sollux. “I will make sure you regret it- what are you doin’?” He asked, his voice reaching a higher pitch as he turned around to look at Sollux, who was now removing his armor.

 

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m making myself comfortable.” It was incredible, how skinny and lanky he looked without his heavy armor. It was a wonder how he ever managed to fight a war. It looked like he could barely lift a wet kitten with those arms. “We won’t start your combat training today. I’m in no need for such a heavy armor. And anyway, this one is only for formal circumstances. And, if you don’t mind me saying it, it’s a real pain in the ass.”

 

Eridan opened his mouth, flabbergasted, but no sounds came out. That is, of course, until he got himself back together. “This- this- this- this is an outrage! How dare you be so… So… So casual with your prince?!”

 

Sollux only shrugged, removing his last piece of armor. “Easy, your highness. I’m not trying to do you any offence, but really, we’re going to have to put up with each other for a while, so we’d better start on more casual ground, right?”

 

Eridan huffed. He wasn’t sure what to say, or whether or not his anger was justified. His brows tugged into a frown. “Your voice. What’s wrong with it.” It was half a question, half an order. He made it clear that there was no other choice but to obey.

 

To which Sollux replied at first by hooking a finger in his upper lip, effectively showing off his front teeth. “My teeth are messed up,” he explained. “So it makes it hard to pronounce some sounds. I grew up with this.”

 

Eridan watched him with a slightly disgusted expression. No matter what his prowesses in war were, he didn’t see how and why that guy was qualified to keep a prince safe.

 

There was a silence, that lasted a few minutes, before Eridan spoke again. “... Are you going to inhabit the quarters next to mine?” He was wary of the answer - those used to belong to his caretaker.

 

“That’s what is planned, yes. So I can keep a close watch on you.” Since Eridan did not reply, Sollux went on. “We should start your physical training as soon as possible. Today’s celebration are not over, so I’ll let you catch a break. But we’re starting tomorrow morning.”

 

A grunt, and the soft sound of a body hitting a bed. Those were Eridan’s only response. He did not want to have to put this Captor lad. Not now. Not ever. But he didn’t really have a choice now, did he?

 

“Fine,” he finally spoke, his voice muffled by the cushions. “I’ll go back to the celebrations later, when they will be ready. For now, I just want to rest. Leave me alone.”

 

There was so obvious laughter from Sollux, and Eridan had to fight the need to throw a cushion right at his face. Or maybe one of his decorative swords. “Of course, your highness. Call me when you’re ready. I’ll be here.”

 

Eridan heard the door closing behind Sollux, and faint footsteps. As soon as he was sure he was alone, he let out a loud, annoyed groan.

   
The Prince had a feeling this lad would be very, very difficult to put up with. 

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is extra short, sorry about it!! The interesting stuff will happen after. I needed to set it all up before jumping into the actual story.


End file.
